After lunch today, I professed my love to my panini maker. Trust me, if you had this grilled vegetable, goat cheese and hummus wrap for lunch you wouldn’t think it was odd to talk to a kitchen appliance either. Last night I tossed baby eggplant, red bell pepper, portabella mushroom strips and asparagus in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon and cracked black pepper and grilled them on my panini machine. I had some leftover, so I decided to throw them in a wrap with goat cheese, hummus, and spinach. It was such a nice combination. I am a goat cheese fanatic and love when it is slightly warm and creamy. Grilling the tortilla makes it nice and crispy; a perfect vessel for the soft texture of my fillings. On the side I had cedar’s original hummusand a large carrot sliced for dipping. I also had an unpictured apple and more of Mr. Chocolate Almond Bunny for dessert.

Days are numbered.

After my attacking Mr. Chocolate Almond Bunny, I received and email to pick up a package at the campus post office. What could it be? I have been expecting contacts (that were supposed to come a week ago…I’m not going to get into that) but it was something even better, MY BREVILLE JUICER!I really should re-name this post to “My Obsession With Kitchen Appliances”. I was so excited when I picked this up. I placed my order a few weeks ago after wanting to make juice for MONTHS. I work at the bakery tomorrow evening, so I’m going to pick up some organic produce afterward. When I spoke to Mario Lopez **(he wrote this about juicing for my blog)** he suggested using organic produce so you avoid the occurrence of chemicals in your juice. I can’t even express how much I am looking forward to using this baby!

I think Sundays are officially going to be my yoga and fresh juice days (except for next week because I will be home with my family for some yummy Easter eats!!). After an afternoon of work, I decided to wind down from my week with a Vinyasa class. The Sunday instructor is SO hard and I was basically DRENCHED in sweat by the end of the class! I was in need of some fresh juice to recover. I wanted the same “Lean ‘n Green” I ordered last week, but they ran out of celery so Beetnik it was. I actually LOVE this drink. The apple, carrot, beet combination is deliciously sweet and earthy; I think I finished it in about a minute flat. I find that there is a noticeable difference in the way I feel when I do and do not have juice post yoga/activities. Drinking raw juice instantly restores my energy levels and my muscles feel less tired and shaky.

After yoga it was POURING rain outside, and I decided to do a little grocery shopping to stock up on some much-needed produce, and some ingredients for the Cooks Mission. To my surprise, they ran out of one of this week’s ingredients: celery root. Who would have guessed that celery root was such a hot item to cook with? I’ll have to find some time and try again tomorrow, because I would be disappointed if I couldn’t participate in such a fun activity. I didmanage to find my favorite Mint Cookies ‘n Cream Fro-Yo, pumpkin and oat bran. Oh yea, you can look forward to some interesting oats this week!

It was nearly 7pm when I got home, and I had oddly been craving runny eggs all day. I can’t even remember the last time I had fried eggs, but hey, you have to feed your body what it wants!! I wilted a bed of spinach and topped it with, sautéed white mushrooms and spanish onion in balsamic, 1 sliced Roma tomato, 2 fried eggs, goat cheese, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon and hot sauce. On the side I had 1 slice of Ezekiel’s 4:9 Sprouted Grain Breadwith Crofter’s North America Superfruit Spread. I love having breakfast for dinner. It was a simple and cozy meal for a rainy night. For dessert I had a bowl of Mint Cookies and Cream topped with frozen raspberries. I’m not entirely sure where or why I came up with this combination, but it works!

Tomorrow is the start of another busy week. I have a long day of classes, projects and I am attending a very late (Almost 9pm!) dinner with a friend for Passover. I do not celebrate this holiday, but have a lot of interest in cultural/religious traditions, especially when they surround family, community and food. I am so excited that I am able to share this with her and can’t wait for the experience! Hopefully I’ll be able to sneak a few photographs, but no promises since it is a religious ceremony.

NOW FOR SOME BIG BREAKING NEWS! A little less talk, a little more action……..I BOUGHT A JUICER! Hopefully it will be getting here in the next week or so!!! I cant wait to start making some fresh juices of my own! I decided on the Breville Multi-Speed Ikon Juicer. I can already tell I am going to have WAY too much fun with this!

Happy Lick-Your-Almond-Butter-Jar-Clean Day Friday. Remember that almost empty jar I pictured yesterday? Well, I made sure to put it to good use today with Oats In a Jar! I have done this before with overnight oats, however; putting warm stove-top oats in a jar makes for an infinitely better melty-almond experience. I used my standard banana-oat mix ( 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/3 cup water, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, 1/2 banana, 1/3 cup steel-cut oats and 1/2 TBS chia seeds), mixed a handful of blueberries in at the very end, added the mixture to my almost empty Maranatha Almond Butter jar and topped with Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt, Crofter’s South America Superfruit Spread(Maqui berries and Passionfruit), chopped Turkish Apricots and Galaxy Vanilla Almond Granola. DELICIOUS! There were points were I literally was eating spoonfuls of ALMOND BUTTER! Whoever started this OIAJ trend needs an award. My favorite addition was the Turkish Apricots. I love dried apricots, and often snack on them with mixed nuts. (see picture above, my favorite way to eat them= stuffing with almonds!) These are the most flavorful, and have the best texture. I find that bagged apricots are some times “gummy” and have a preservative taste. I only chopped 1 or 2 to put into my oats, and despite the other flavors, could taste them in every bite.

I’m headed home this afternoon for an eye doctors appointment. The pink eye I had about a month ago turned into an allergy and I have been wearing glasses ever since! I am glad to finally be glasses free, plus I get to go out for a fish dinner with my parents! (Fish because we don’t eat meat on Friday during lent/ I love fish! Can you believe Lent is almost over? I gave up caffeinated beverages, and only cheated a few times, plus get de-caf lattes and coffee so it’s not all bad! I have to say I have been feeling FANTASTIC being caffeine free.) With traveling comes ROAD SNACKS! It’s not a far drive so I packed some finger foods: 1 large carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 Gala apple and left over mango sprinkled with cinnamon. I ended up eating another Gala apple while chopping all of this! They are so good! I made a spontaneous Lady Gaga CD purchase yesterday when I went to Target. I can’t remember the last time I actually bought a CD. This should be a fun one for the ride; there is something about her music that is….interesting to me.

In other news I am 99% sure that I am going to get a juicer this summer! I’m thinking about getting one from Breville. I found a few that were less expensive, but from past experience buying “cheaper” appliances, I know that they don’t always last and quality is extremely important. If anyone has suggestions let me know!

Before leaving for work I snacked on a Lemon Zest Luna Bar. I wanted something refreshing (actually I really wanted some fresh JUICE! Obsessed? I think I’m going to need a juicer very soon.) yet more substantial than fruit so I picked this Luna Barout of my enormous bar supply. I really ought to document the number of bars I have on hand…it’s getting to be out of control. I like Luna Bars but don’t have them that often because I went through a period when I ate them every morning on my way to class/sports and “burned out” from them. I also discovered a bunch of other snack bars that I liked better, and the importance of eating a REAL breakfast.

After my snack I whipped together a Spicy Peanut Tempeh “Wrap”. I’m not really sure what to call this because I used a whole wheat and flax tortilla but I can never close my wraps, so I pressed it in the panini maker instead. In this bad boy is: shredded carrots, clover sprouts snap peas, tempeh, spicy peanut sauce (1 TBS peanut butter mixed with 1tsp reduced sodium soy sauce, lime juice and a pinch of red chili flakes), 1/4 an avocado, 1/8 sliced red pepper, and 1/8 sliced mango. I had this with a side of roasted Kabocha squash. See I can make simple dinners!! I should have doubled the sauce, it was SO good. Afer dinner I had a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, because I just needed more of a peanut butter fix. I think tomorrow’s breakfast will be staring some nut butter :).

On another note, I thanked the customer service contact at Breville about the juicer and he wrote a small essay for me to add to my blog about juicing. I love the taste of fresh juice, but other than that, I am not educated on the health benefits and proper juicing technique to obtain the optimum nutrition. I found this information very interesting and helpful. When I had juice after yoga class, I felt a sense of “rejuvenation”; a much better feeling than just rehydrating with water. He Wrote:

Why Juice?

● Most of us lead fast-paced lives, but juicing can pack in the recommended five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Once you start experiencing the benefits of fresh juice, juicing will become a habit.

● freshly made juice is a potent source of nutrients and certain combinations have specific health benefits. If you drink juices on a regular basis, you’ll enjoy clearer skin, better energy levels and balanced overall health

● Juices are a great alternative to dairy, either due to allergies or to intolerance. And can be a great way to supplement your breakfast of curb an afternoon sweet tooth craving, because it’s quick to make and consume.

● Fresh juice is much healthier than canned, bottled, frozen or packaged juice as it contains far more nutrients and other ‘living foods’.

● drinking at least one glass of fresh, organic juice each day, you can reverse whatever toxic burden your body is struggling with.

Quick absorption = Instant Energy

● Juicing makes it easier to obtain far greater concentrations of nutrients than fruits and vegetables than if they were in their solid state. No other health product or even healthy foods, can match how quickly and easily fresh fruit and vegetable juices are digested and absorbed by the body. Fresh-squeezed juices are absorbed almost immediately once they are consumed, whereas solid foods take much longer to digested

● During the juicing process, the cell wall of fruits and vegetables is cut open, releasing an abundance of nutrients, such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll, all of which are quickly absorbed by the body once consumed. Its is precisely because fresh juices contain such an abundance of nutrients that juicing can create such an energizing effect in the body.

Go for organic

● By using organic produce, you will spare yourself from the many harmful chemicals that non-organic food crops typically contain, due to commercial farming methods that rely on the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and other man-made chemical products.

● Peel all produce that is not organic, even though the largest concentration of nutrients is in and next to the skin. The peels and skins of sprayed fruits and vegetables contain the largest concentration of pesticides.

Tips in preparation

● Cut away all moldy, bruised or damaged areas as they are lacking in any nutritional benefit. Avoid using overripe produce as it can result in too much pulp, and they contain less nutrient content than properly ripened produce

● Use leaves and stems, as they are packed with rich nutrients, but remove pits from stone fruits as they will damage the juicer.

● Always peel oranges tangerines and grapefruits before juicing because the skins of these items contain bitter-tasting oils that can cause digestive problems. Lemons and limes can be juiced, if organic and will get an extra kick. However, when you are preparing citrus fruit for juicing, leave as much of the white pithy part on the citrus fruit as possible, since it contains the most vitamin C and bioflavonoids.

How long does fresh juice last?

● The sooner you drink your juice after you make it, the more nutrients you will get.

● It is best to consume the drink within 20 minutes after they are prepared and only make as much as you intend to drink at one time. The maximum shelf life in the refrigerator for fresh-squeezed juice is 48 hours. Beyond that time, virtually none of the nutritional benefits of juice remain, beyond calories and some mineral content.

● Light heat, and air will destroy nutrients quickly. The longer it sits out, the more nutrients that are lost. If juice browns, it has oxidized and has lost a nutritional value. Lemon juice will help slow the oxidation process.

Since I’ve been juicing I have done some research and read several informative books to have some knowledge of facts regarding juicing. Hopefully this information will help your blog site. Last I just want to mention that with you will find a lot of recipes in the instruction book for the juicer and may suggest to you that it is best to go slow and to experiment with various juice combinations in order to note how you feel after drinking them. As you discover the juice combinations that work best for you, you can then start to make them a part of your daily health regime.

I started today a little bit off routine. I’m a creature of habit, so when I wake up late I feel rushed and unbalanced. It was almost 9am and I still needed to pack, shower, get ready, and more importantly HAVE BREAKFAST! I wasn’t very hungry this morning or in the mood for anything particular but I really do not like starting my day with out breakfast (if you read my blog you will see that it is my favorite meal of the day). I wanted a loaded green smoothie (1 cup almond milk, 1 frozen banana, handful of spinach, ice, chia seeds, and Amazing Grass Chocolate Superfood) topped with Galaxy granola but being the good room-mate that I am, realized my room-mate was still sleeping and my noisy blender going off would be a rude awakening. I decided for the next best (and easiest) thing: 3/4 cup Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt, 1/4 Cup Vanilla Soy Milk, 1/2 TBS Chia Seeds, 1/4 Cup Galaxy Vanilla Almond Granola(my new OBSESSION!!! LOVE THIS STUFF!), a handful of blueberries and cinnamon.

When I stepped out the door the rain was gone, the clouds had parted and there was nothing but blue skies and sunshine! This changed my mood immediately, and after class I had to go for a leisurely riverside run. It was a little bit cold with mild wind in the 50’s, but there is one thing I do not do when we have a sunny day: waste them. I have to take full advantage of the weather, and it always lifts my mood. I ran for about 40 minutes (plus time for pictures, because it was TOO beautiful).

While I was running I started to think about getting a juicer. (My foodie mind is in perpetual motion)Since it is getting to be farmers market season (BEST TIME OF THE YEAR!!!! IT’S PRODUCE CHRISTMAS EVERY WEEKEND!!!) and the weather is getting nicer, I think that a juicer might be a great addition to my kitchen. I love fresh juice, but it is SO expensive at almost $6 a bottle and how refreshing would it be to wake up in the summer and have a glass of fresh juice with breakfast or in the afternoon? I have looked at a few online, and was wondering if anyone had suggestions? I was thinking about getting a product from Breville, I have read about them and when I inquired about juicer advice, the company quickly responded and made suggestions based on the level of use I was looking for.

Since breakfast was a little lame, I had to make up for it with a good lunch. Warm Lentil Salad with Beets and Hazelnut Coated Goat Cheese and of course an apple. When I make warm lentil salad, I usually serve it with a walnut coated goat cheese. I actually had this in mind last night but then was having a Dijon craving and didn’t want my plate/flavors to be TOO busy. I love the way the goat cheese medallion slightly melts when it is placed on the lentils. The combination of the spices and the texture of the lentils with the creamy goat cheese is phenomenal. It is simple, but so luxurious.

Dinner tonight will have to be something fast; I’m doing my usual shift at the bakery until 9pm. I love it there :)! I might be feeling creative with my “lunch box” dinner so I’ll be sure to post later!

Reinventing Leftovers,

Nora

What are your thoughts about purchasing a juicer?

I received some comments about what I do for work outs/ what snacks etc I eat through out the day. I don’t always post everything, so I was wondering what you would like me to blog about more. I would love to hear some feedback! 🙂